1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to firearms and in particular to large caliber handguns, revolvers, or rifles that utilize large cartridges or shells having high intensity loading. More specifically, the invention relates to an improved bushing for protecting the throat or lead end of a barrel of such a high intensity revolver and tooling for its installation.
2. Prior Art
Guns and particularly revolvers of various sizes and shapes are well known in the prior art. Recently in particular, large caliber revolvers have been introduced which utilize large cartridges or shells having high intensity loading, and a number of inventions have been developed including barrel bushings such revolvers for increasing barrel life and as gas check devices for such revolvers.
An early U.S. Pat. No. 325,878 to J. E. Tyler, shows a gas check arrangement and a number of patents cited in an earlier application of the present invention, entitled "Barrel Bushing for Large Caliber Handgun", Ser. No. 531,075, filed Sept. 12, 1983, now abandoned, are relevant to bushing arrangements generally.
Such high intensity guns as are shown in earlier patents, are capable of projecting a large caliber bullet or projectile from the gun muzzle. A high intensity revolver known as a 454 Casull that is preferred for utilization of the present invention, projects a large caliber bullet at a velocity of 1,500 to 2,000 feet per second or greater. Relatively large quantities of very high pressure gases are produced by the detonation of such high intensity shells or cartridges. Some of which high pressure gases will tend to escape between the revolver cylinder and the barrel, thereby eroding the throat or lead end of the barrel to a much greater extent than has been heretofore experienced with conventional firearms firing lessor intensity shells. Accordingly, where earlier conventional handguns have been capable of firing thousands of rounds of ammunition without serious barrel throat or lead end erosion, the throat or lead end of the barrels of such larger caliber handguns utilizing high intensity loading have been found to be eroded to a point of being essentially inoperable after firing only a comparative few rounds of ammunition.
For providing such needed barrel throat reinforcement the present invention provides a bushing with a straight unrifled bore that can be made of a much harder steel than is appropriate for use in a rifled barrel and for tooling for conveniently and easily installing that bushing as the throat or lead end of the barrel.